Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior

Psychiatrist John Diamond (1934-2021), who believed that a force called Life Energy was the basis of all health issues, used kinesiology to diagnose and treat psychiatric patients. He used the technique to test the effects of a range of sensory and psychological stimuli, such as art, music, facial expressions, and stress. His work was popularized by the publication of his 1979 book, Your Body Doesn’t Lie.

George Goodheart (1918-2008) was a physiotherapist who, as a result of muscle-testing studies conducted in his practice, believed that the strength or weakness of each muscle corresponded to the health or pathology of a particular body organ. These muscles in turn were associated with acupuncture meridians (channels through which energy flows). He published a popular book on applied kinesiology, which led to the formation of the International College of Applied Kinesiology.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whose honorific title was “Mahatma” (Great Soul), was an Indian lawyer who led the campaign to free India from British colonial rule. Born to a Hindu family in 1869, Gandhi studied law in England and worked for two decades in South Africa, where he experienced racism personally and began campaigning to end discrimination against Indian citizens. After returning to India in 1915, he emerged as a leader who used nonviolent means of protest, such as boycotts and marches, to accomplish his goal of freeing India from British rule. He was assassinated in 1948.